Review of “The kitchen as laboratory” edited by César Vega, Job Ubbink, and Erik van der Linden

The Kitchen as Laboratory. Reflections on the Science of Food and Cooking.New York: Columbia University Press; 2012312 pages, ISBN 978-0-231-15344-7The book is a collection of 33 essays written by a wide range of scientists and chefs engaged in the intellectual and practical studies of food. The three editors, all versed themselves in the sciences inspired by cooking, have managed to put together an impressive mosaic of perspectives on the general theme of the kitchen viewed as a laboratory.It is amazing how many exciting topics this small book with only 312 pages covers, all the way from the physics and physical chemistry of texture and preparatory techniques, over flavour and sensory perception, to the psychology and multi-sensory pleasure of eating.Specific topics covered include: sensory experiences of the sound of crispness; crispy crusts and skins; sponge cakes; spherification and texture formation by hydrogels; sticky food and stretchable ice cream; conservation of meat and fish; flavour enhancement by Maillard reactions; gases and foams in cooking (e.g. for meringue and cappuccino); viscosity of egg yolk; the texture of ketchup; stocks, soups, sauces, and oil-water emulsions; heat transfer in cooking; the physics of sugar and sweets; restructuring of meats; and scientific observations in the restaurant and perceptions of the dining experience. Throughout the book, the various topics are dealt with in a way that revolves around the broad concept of flavour.The interested layman can read the book, and at the same time it has refreshing and new insights to provide for both professional scientists and practitioners. The book can be used as a source of inspiration, it poses challenging questions (e.g. how to avoid the blooming of chocolate, how to optimize the life time of foams, or how to make a perfect crackling duck skin), it stimulates reflection and thoughtfulness (why we still don’t know why egg whites whipped in a copper bowl make for a more stable foam),